December 2019 – The Driver Suit Blog

2019 Paint Scheme Leaderboard Part 4-The Grand Finale

By David G. Firestone

Thanksgiving has passed, holiday music and decorations are abound, and the 2019 Paint Scheme Leaderboard is here! Here’s how the process works. I will rank all of the Cup Series teams by their paint scheme GPA. I will rank them by manufacturer, then all of them in one final list. There is no committee this year, as Zoe chose to skip the proceedings. Here is the Chevy list:

1-JTG Daugherty Racing #47 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 26^th of 47

Number of Schemes: 2

GPA: 4.00

2-Tommy Baldwin Racing #71 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: N/A

Number of Schemes: 1

GPA: 4.00

3–XCI Racing #81 Toyota Camry

Rank Last Year: N/A

Number of Schemes: 1

GPA: 4.00

4-Hendrick Motorsports #24 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 15^th of 47

Number of Schemes: 10

GPA: 3.87

5Motorsports Business Management #66 Toyota Camry

Rank Last Year: 3^rd of 47

Number of Schemes: 14

GPA: 3.82

6-Team Penske #12 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 4^th of 47

Number of Schemes: 18

GPA: 3.78

7-Spire Motorsports #77 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: N/A

Number of Schemes: 21

GPA: 3.70

8-Gaunt Brothers Racing #96 Toyota Camry

Rank Last Year: 34^th of 47

Number of Schemes: 3

GPA: 3.67

9-Team Penske #2 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 23^rdof 47

Number of Schemes: 11

GPA: 3.63

10–Wood Brothers Racing #21 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 8^th of 47

Number of Schemes: 18

GPA: 3.60

11-Joe Gibbs Racing #18 Toyota Camry

Rank Last Year: 4^th of 47

Number of Schemes: 11

GPA: 3.52

12-Go FAS Racing #32 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 4^th of 18

Number of Schemes: 18

GPA: 3.50

13-Stewart-Haas Racing #14 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 16^th of 47

Number of Schemes: 15

GPA: 3.49

14-Premium Motorsports #15 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 22^nd of 47

Number of Schemes: 17

GPA: 3.43

15-Stewart-Hass Racing #41 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 3^rd of 47

Number of Schemes: 16

GPA: 3.42

16-Richard Petty Motorsports #43 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 11^thof 47

Number of Schemes: 14

GPA: 3.41

17-Premium Motorsports #27 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: N/A

Number of Schemes: 8

GPA: 3.39

18-Stewart-Haas Racing #4 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 7^th of 47

Number of Schemes: 15

GPA: 3.36

19–Motorsports Business Management #46 Toyota Camry

Rank Last Year: N/A

Number of Schemes: 2

GPA: 3.35

20-Richard Childress Racing #8 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 44^th of 47

Number of Schemes: 18

GPA: 3.34

21-Joe Gibbs Racing #20 Toyota Camry

Rank Last Year:17^th of 47

Number of Schemes: 12

GPA: 3.33

22-Joe Gibbs Racing #19 Toyota Camry

Rank Last Year: 37^thof 47

Number of Schemes: 6

GPA: 3.28

23-Hendrick Motorsports #9 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 30^th of 47

Number of Schemes:16

GPA:3.18

24-Hendrick Motorsports #88 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 32^ndof 47

Number of Schemes: 15

GPA: 3.18

25-Stewart-Haas Racing #10 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 24^th of 47

Number of Schemes: 13

GPA: 3.18

26-Front Row Racing #34 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 1^st of 47

Number of Schemes: 10

GPA: 3.12

27-StarCom Racing #00 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 42^ndof 47

Number of Schemes: 31

GPA: 3.10

28-Chip Ganassi Racing #42 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 40^thof 47

Number of Schemes: 10

GPA: 3.10

29-Rick Ware Racing #53 Chevy Camaro/Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: N/A

Number of Schemes: 7

GPA: 3.10

30-Richard Childress Racing #3 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 19^th of 47

Number of Schemes: 18

GPA: 3.09

31-Joe Gibbs Racing #11 Toyota Camry

Rank Last Year: 11^th of 47

Number of Schemes: 6

GPA: 3.03

32-Hendrick Motorsports #48 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 9^thof 47

Number of Schemes: 4

GPA: 3.00

33-Leavine Family Racing #95 Toyota Camry

Rank Last Year: 39^th of 47

Number of Schemes: 14

GPA: 3.00

34-Front Row Racing #36 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: N/A

Number of Schemes: 16

GPA: 2.85

35-Chip Ganassi Racing #1 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 10^th of 47

Number of Schemes: 9

GPA: 2.82

36-Rick Ware Racing #52 Chevy Camaro/Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 2^nd of 47

Number of Schemes: 25

GPA: 2.75

37-Chip Ganassi Racing #40 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: N/A

Number of Schemes: 3

GPA: 2.67

38-Roush-Fenway Racing #6 Ford Mustang

Ford Mustang Rank Last Year: 12^th of 18

Number of Schemes: 20

GPA: 2.66

39-Rick Ware Racing #51 Chevy Camaro/Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 9^th of 47

Number of Schemes: 12

GPA: 2.59

40-Richard Childress Racing #31 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 31^st of 47

Number of Schemes: 2

GPA: 2.50

41-JTG Daugherty Racing #37 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 31^st of 47

Number of Schemes: 23

GPA: 2.46

42-Germain Racing #13 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 24^thof

Number of Schemes: 6

GPA: 2.45

43-Rick Ware Racing #54 Chevy Camaro/Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: N/A

Number of Schemes: 5

GPA: 2.50

44-Team Penske #22 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 18^thof 47

Number of Schemes: 10

GPA: 2.16

45–Front Row Racing #38 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 14^th of 47

Number of Schemes: 18

GPA: 2.08

46-Beard Motorsports #62 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 1^st of 47

Number of Schemes: 2

GPA: 2.00

47–Roush-Fenway Racing #17 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 33^rd of 47

Number of Schemes: 13

GPA: 1.95

Well, that was the 2019 year for The Driver Suit Blog. I’ve had fun, and I hope to see you again soon. Next week, Wheel Reviews returns for 2020!

Throwback Thursday-1997 Bobby Hamilton #51 Southern Pride Trucking Chevrolet C1500

1997 Bobby Hamilton #51 Southern Pride Trucking Chevrolet C1500

When he was hired as a stunt driver for Days of Thunder, Nashville, Tennessee’s Bobby Hamilton grabbed the opportunity, and proved competitive at the 1989 Autoworks 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. This impressed quite a few people, and eventually, Hamilton would get signed to a full-time racing deal. He made the most of that deal, winning 4 races in the Cup Series, 1 race in the Xfinity Series, and 10 races in the Truck Series. In 1997, Hamilton race two races in the Truck Series, finishing 5th at Topeka, and 6th at Martinsville. That season he raced a Chevy C-1500 sponsored by Southern Pride Trucking for his own team. The car has a great look, with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.

2019 Paint Scheme Leaderboard Part 3-Toyota

By David G. Firestone

The 2019 Paint Scheme Leaderboard rolls on, this week, it’s the Toyota teams time to shine!

1-XCI Racing #81 Toyota Camry

Rank Last Year: N/A

Number of Schemes: 1

GPA: 4.00

2-Motorsports Business Management #66 Toyota Camry

Rank Last Year: 3^rd of 9

Number of Schemes: 14

GPA: 3.82

3-Gaunt Brothers Racing #96 Toyota Camry

Rank Last Year: 6^th of 9

Number of Schemes: 3

GPA: 3.67

4-Joe Gibbs Racing #18 Toyota Camry

Rank Last Year: 4^th of 9

Number of Schemes: 11

GPA: 3.52

5-Motorsports Business Management #46 Toyota Camry

Rank Last Year: N/A

Number of Schemes: 2

GPA: 3.35

6-Joe Gibbs Racing #20 Toyota Camry

Rank Last Year: 2^ndof 9

Number of Schemes: 12

GPA: 3.33

7-Joe Gibbs Racing #19 Toyota Camry

Rank Last Year: 7^thof 9

Number of Schemes: 6

GPA: 3.28

8-Joe Gibbs Racing #11 Toyota Camry

Rank Last Year: 8^th of 9

Number of Schemes: 6

GPA: 3.03

9-Leavine Family Racing #95 Toyota Camry

Rank Last Year: N/A

Number of Schemes: 14

GPA: 3.00

Next week, the Grand Finale!

Throwback Thursday-1997 Tony Raines #19 Pennzoil Dodge Ram

1997 Tony Raines #19 Pennzoil Dodge Ram

Glasgow, Montana isn’t a place closely associated with auto racing, but it is home to Tony Raines. Tony Raines is just one in a series of drivers who had success in the Truck Series, but couldn’t succeed in the Xfinity or Cup Series. Raines had a win in 1997, and three in 1998, but his attempts in the Xfinity and the Cup series weren’t great. In 1997, he raced for Roehrig Motorsports, and won the Western Auto/Parts America 200 at I-70 Speedway in Odessa, Missouri, driving the #19 Pennzoil Ram. The Pennzoil color scheme is great, but I think the stripes are too much. I get what they were trying to do, but it doesn’t look good. Still, it’s not terrible, so I’ll give it a B+

2019 Paint Scheme Leaderboard Part 2-Ford

By David G. Firestone

This week, the Paint Scheme Leaderboard shifts focus to the blue oval. Ford’s rankings are up for this week.

1-Team Penske #12 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 4^thof 18

Number of Schemes: 18

GPA: 3.78

2-Team Penske #2 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 12^th of 18

Number of Schemes: 11

GPA: 3.63

3-Wood Brothers Racing #21 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 7^th of 18

Number of Schemes: 18

GPA: 3.60

4-Go FAS Racing #32 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 4^th of 18

Number of Schemes: 18

GPA: 3.50

5-Stewart-Haas Racing #14 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 10^th of 18

Number of Schemes: 15

GPA: 3.49

6-Stewart-Hass Racing #41 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 2^nd of 18

Number of Schemes: 16

GPA: 3.42

7-Stewart-Haas Racing #4 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 6^th of 18

Number of Schemes: 15

GPA: 3.36

8-Stewart-Haas Racing #10 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 13^th of 18

Number of Schemes: 13

GPA: 3.18

9-Front Row Racing #34 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 1^st of 18

Number of Schemes: 10

GPA: 3.12

10–Rick Ware Racing #53 Chevy Camaro/Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: N/A

Number of Schemes: 7

GPA: 3.10

11-Front Row Racing #36 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: N/A

Number of Schemes: 16

GPA: 2.85

12-Rick Ware Racing #52 Chevy Camaro/Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 5^th of 18

Number of Schemes: 25

GPA: 2.75

13-Roush-Fenway Racing #6 Ford Mustang

Ford Mustang Rank Last Year: 8^th of 18

Number of Schemes: 20

GPA: 2.66

14-Rick Ware Racing #51 Chevy Camaro/Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 14^th of 18

Number of Schemes: 12

GPA: 2.59

15-Rick Ware Racing #54 Chevy Camaro/Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: N/A

Number of Schemes: 5

GPA: 2.50

16-Team Penske #22 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 18^th of 18

Number of Schemes: 10

GPA: 2.16

17-Front Row Racing #38 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 9^thof 18

Number of Schemes: 18

GPA: 2.08

18-Roush-Fenway Racing #17 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 13^th of 18

Number of Schemes: 13

GPA: 1.95

Next week, the Toyota Leaderboard

Throwback Thursday-1996 Jack Sprague #24 Quaker State Chevrolet C1500

1996 Jack Sprague #24 Quaker State Chevrolet C1500

With 28 wins and three championships in the Truck Series, Spring Lake, Michigan’s Jack Sprague is tied for third on the all-time win list with Mike Skinner. Sprague’s best years came while driving for Rick Hendrick, where he won his three championships, in 1997, 1999, and 2001. In 1996, he got his first win at Phoenix, driving the #24 Quaker State C-1500. I’m not a fan of the older, lighter green that Quaker State was using around this time. It doesn’t translate well to the side of a race car or truck. The design scheme is good, but the color is off. I’ll give it a C+

2019 Paint Scheme Leaderboard Part 1-Chevy

By David G. Firestone

1-JTG Daugherty Racing #47 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 26^th of 26

Number of Schemes: 2

GPA: 4.00

2-Tommy Baldwin Racing #71 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: N/A

Number of Schemes: 1

GPA: 4.00

3-Hendrick Motorsports #24 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 7^th

Number of Schemes: 10

GPA: 3.87

4-Spire Motorsports #77 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year:N/A

Number of Schemes: 21

GPA: 3.70

5-Premium Motorsports #15 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 10^th

Number of Schemes: 17

GPA: 3.43

6-Richard Petty Motorsports #43 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 11^th

Number of Schemes: 14

GPA: 3.41

7-Premium Motorsports #27 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: N/A

Number of Schemes: 8

GPA: 3.39

8-Richard Childress Racing #8 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 25^thof 26

Number of Schemes: 18

GPA: 3.34

9-Hendrick Motorsports #9 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 15^thof 26

Number of Schemes:16

GPA:3.18

10-Hendrick Motorsports #88 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 17^thof 26

Number of Schemes: 15

GPA: 3.18

11-StarCom Racing #00 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 23^rdof 26

Number of Schemes: 31

GPA: 3.10

12-Chip Ganassi Racing #42 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 22^nd of 26

Number of Schemes: 10

GPA: 3.10

13-Rick Ware Racing #53 Chevy Camaro/Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: N/A

Number of Schemes: 7

GPA: 3.10

14-Richard Childress Racing #3 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 9^thof 26

Number of Schemes: 18

GPA: 3.09

15-Hendrick Motorsports #48 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 3^rdof 26

Number of Schemes: 4

GPA: 3.00

16-Chip Ganassi Racing #1 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 4^thof 26

Number of Schemes: 9

GPA: 2.82

17-Rick Ware Racing #52 Chevy Camaro/Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 2^ndof 26

Number of Schemes: 25

GPA: 2.75

18-Chip Ganassi Racing #40 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: N/A

Number of Schemes: 3

GPA: 2.67

19-Rick Ware Racing #51 Chevy Camaro/Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 9^thof 26

Number of Schemes: 12

GPA: 2.59

20-Richard Childress Racing #31 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 16^thof 26

Number of Schemes: 2

GPA: 2.50

21-JTG Daugherty Racing #37 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 11^thof 26

Number of Schemes: 23

GPA: 2.46

22-Germain Racing #13 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 24^thof 26

Number of Schemes: 6

GPA: 2.45

23-Rick Ware Racing #54 Chevy Camaro/Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: N/A

Number of Schemes: 5

GPA: 2.50

24-Beard Motorsports #62 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 1^stof 26

Number of Schemes: 2

GPA: 2.00

Next week, the Ford Leaderboard.

Throwback Thursday-1996 Rusty Wallace #22 Miller Ford F-150

1996 Rusty Wallace #22 Miller Ford F-150

Considered one of the greatest drivers never to win a Daytona 500, Arnold, Missouri’s Rusty Wallace has 55 wins in the Cup Series, and the 1989 Championship. He also raced in IROC, winning 4 races, and the 1991 IROC Championship. While he has many stars in many different series, he only has one start in the Truck Series, the 1996 DeVilbiss Superfinish 200 at Nazareth Speedway, driving the #22 Miller Beer F-150. The Miller Beer scheme was universal to all of Miller’s sponsored teams in 1996. Miller was moving away from Miller Genuine Draft, and by 1997 would switch to Miller Lite. It’s not a bad scheme, but the red and blue designs were never really explained, and are visually distracting. They take an A scheme down to a B+